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Lesko, Tipirneni headed for rematch

Ducey, Garcia to battle for governor; McSally, Sinema to vie for U.S. Senate Nov. 6

Debbie Lesko will face Hiral Tipirneni in November for the U.S. Representative District 8 seat.

Doug Ducey faces David Garcia as an opponent for the Governor's seat.

Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema vie for the U.S. Senate position in November.

It’s déjà vu for Debbie Lesko and Hiral Tipirneni as they will again face off for the Congressional District 8 seat in the Nov. 6 general election.

Lesko, a Republican, and Democrat Tipirneni just finished campaigning against each other for the seat held by Republican Trent Franks, who resigned last December amid reports of sexual misconduct. Franks had held the seat since 2003. Lesko, a former state senator, narrowly defeated Tipirneni, a former emergency room physician, in the special April election.

“With the primary election behind us, it’s full steam ahead,” Tipirneni said in a statement before the polls closed. “We are thrilled to see that the energy and momentum, which nearly propelled us to victory in April has stayed with us through the summer. Even though we were fortunate enough not to have a primary campaign, we’ve kept the gap between us and our presumed opponent to single digits, maintained our fundraising edge, and had great volunteer turnout for door knocking and phone banking. We couldn’t do any of this without our wonderful supporters. Early ballot returns show that our voters are very engaged, which is great for democracy regardless of your political persuasion. Now, it’s on to November.”

Lesko could not be reached for comment.

In the gubernatorial primary, Gov. Doug Ducey beat former Secretary of State Ken Bennett for the Republican nomination.

“I am grateful and humbled by the continued support we’ve received from Arizonans tonight,” Ducey said in a statement. “We’ve delivered substantive reforms and made real progress these last three years in order to improve our state. Together, we’ve balanced a $1 billion budget deficit, invested 2.7 billion additional dollars into education, created economic conditions resulting in nearly one-quarter million new jobs, and clamped down on drug smugglers and human traffickers. We’ve done it by looking past labels and party assignments, and serving the public with civility and cooperation. Now, we must come together again to ensure we build on the significant gains of the last three years to secure Arizona’s future. I look forward to the campaign ahead in the weeks and months to come.”

David Garcia handily beat his competition for the Democratic nod for the governor’s race.

“Thank you, Arizona,” Garcia said after the results were released late Aug. 28. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this amazing honor, thank you very much.”

He went on to thank his wife, family and volunteers.

“We have nearly 6,000 people who are making a difference in Arizona every day,” he said. “Tonight, victory is theirs.”

He also thanked his competitors, Steve Farley and Kelly Fryer.

“I want them to know how much I appreciate them,” he said. “They are two committed Democrats. They pushed important issues. And they made me a better candidate.”

He said something amazing is happening in Arizona.

“Our state is changing,” Garcia said. “The lobbyists and insiders who have been running the show for decades, they are now running scared because they know their days are numbered.”

He said the government is being run for the fortunate few who can afford a seat at the table.

“While Doug Ducey serves those at the top, I am going to serve hard-working Arizonans,” he said.

In the Republican secretary of state race, Steve Gaynor walloped incumbent Michele Reagan 67.32 percent to 32.68 percent. He will run against state Sen. Katie Hobbs, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, in the general election. Attorney General Mark Brnovich will run for re-election against Democrat January Contreras, a former deputy county attorney for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and assistant attorney general, as they both ran unopposed in their respective primaries. In an extremely tight race that is too close to call, Frank Riggs was the top vote getter in the Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction primary, with incumbent Diane Douglas coming in third in the five-way competition. Kathy Hoffman will run for the Democrats in that race in November.

Martha McSally, who currently holds the Congressional District 2 seat, clobbered former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Dr. Kelli Ward for the Republican nod for U.S. senator while Kyrsten Sinema, U.S. representative for Arizona’s 9th Congressional District, trounced Deedra Abboud in the Democratic race.

“This is how I see this campaign,” McSally said during her victory speech Aug. 28. “It’s a choice between a doer and a talker. Between a patriot and a protestor. Between a career fighter pilot and a career politician. Between proven grit and Hollywood glitz. My opponent brags that she owns over 100 pairs of shoes. I, on the other hand, have over 100 combat missions. The contrast couldn’t be more clear. I have and always been true to who I am. And I’ve spent my life in service to our great country.”

Sinema thanked Arizona on her Facebook page.

“We launched this campaign to fight for our shared Arizona values. Today, we won the primary election and took one step closer to victory. I’m grateful for all your support and ready for the road ahead. Let’s go win this thing.”

Following are the unofficial results released by the Arizona Secretary of State and the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office (Bold indicates the winner(s)):